PASADENA - Authorities accuse a husband and wife from Temple City of operating a multimillion-dollar prostitution ring that involved dozens of women and operated out of upscale apartments in Pasadena.

Police Lt. Tom Pederson said the couple ran their operation at two units in the Trio Apartments at Colorado Boulevard and El Molino Avenue.

To access the Trio Apartments, visitors must enter a security code, which the couple provided to their customers once an agreement was made, Pederson said.

"The residents, I'm quite sure, were not aware this was going on," Pederson said.

Li Chen, 32, and her husband Thanh Ly, 35, are accused of using Web sites to advertise for massages, escorts and erotic services. New customers had to have a referral from another customer who had already visited the alleged brothels, Pederson said.

The couple allegedly had another two units operating as houses of prostitution in the nearby Archstone apartment building, at Colorado and Oak Knoll Avenue, he said, but prostitution in that building appeared to have stopped early last year.

Authorities also suspect the couple ran another house of prostitution out of an apartment in Irvine at the time of their arrest.

Officials booked Ly and Chen on Dec. 16 after serving search warrants at the apartments in Pasadena and Irvine, as well at their home in Temple City, Pederson said.

Both were booked on suspicion of pimping and pandering following a two-year investigation, Pasadena police said in a written statement.

Pederson said the suspects charged about $200 per hour for the illicit services.

Officials seized about $10,000 in cash from the apartments, as well as more than $20,000 worth of jewelry and three luxury cars from the couple's home, Pederson said. All the goods are believed to be profits from prostitution. Neither Ly nor Chen is employed.

They have pleaded not guilty and are due in Los Angeles Superior Court for arraignment Jan. 25, Pederson said.

Four women between 21 and 40 years old were also arrested on suspicion of prostitution in the investigation, the lieutenant said. All were released after being issued misdemeanor citations.

Dozens of women were believed to have been involved in the prostitution ring, although only one or two would be at an apartment at the same time, he said.

"Up to 25 different women were shuffled through these apartment complexes," Pederson said.

In a written statement, acting police chief Chris Vicino said the breakup of the alleged ring improved the quality of life in Pasadena.

"Prostitution is not a victimless crime as some would argue," the chief said. "It negatively impacts the quality of life and very fabric of the community."